2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Type of paper: Work in progress (WIP).

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) proposes that one of the student outcomes that engineers must have is "an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives" [1]. Project-based learning is one of the teaching methodologies used in engineering education to promote teamwork [2; 3]. Cornerstone courses are first-year engineering design courses mostly using project-based learning methodologies [4], where students work in teams to solve real-world problems [5]. During COVID-19, students had to work remotely in teams using different platforms, such as Teams, ZOOM, and Google Drive. Today, most universities have returned to face-to-face classes. After meeting with students to discuss their projects, the faculty team realized that despite the face-to-face classes, some teams still use different technologies to do their teamwork and have never met in person outside lecture time. The faculty team has noticed a need for more empathy between team members, less engagement with the course, and a feeling of being burdened by working in teams. These observations led to our research question: How do face-to-face and remote work experiences outside classroom settings influence undergraduate students' perceptions of teamwork in the context of a cornerstone course in Engineering? This WIP explores students' perceptions regarding teamwork, considering whether they have worked face-to-face or remotely outside classes. A survey was conducted at the semester's end to understand the students' perceptions concerning teamwork, considering how their team worked. This WIP contributes to engineering education by exploring how the post-pandemic generations have challenged face-to-face teamwork and its consequences for achieving teamwork as a student outcome.